Big day for Bitcoin

Bitcoin, Blockchain, Distributed Ledger – conference participants nod sagely, roundtable participants laugh nervously, and everyone makes a surreptitious note to have a quick Google later. Just to make doubly sure that they definitely got the gist. You know, just to check.

An Uber driver once told me they were advised against engaging clients in conversations around religion, politics or football. I feel a same sort of warning might be relevant at financial tech gatherings. It certainly divides opinion – particularly in terms of how relevant the technology is in the short term, to solve pressing issues such as transparency and reduced settlement cycles in post trade or supercharge instant international payments.

The range of applications for blockchain technology is staggering – and as for Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that made Blockchain famous? Let’s wait and see what today’s headlines and analysis bring after yesterday’s ‘fork’.